Spikey
07-28-2007, 02:55 PM
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Hi
Im from the Uk and 26 years old. About 4 years ago i started suffering from a blocked sensation in my right ear and i could hear my own pulse in my ear. I went to the GP to have what i thought my ear sringed but she said it was an infection. I went back and forth to the GP for about 12 months and because the inflamation and infection didnt respond to any anti biotics she refered me to the Local Hospital.
I attended the ENT department at the hospital and was also treated for congestion and an ear infection. The symptoms persisted and after 6 months they decided to try and put a gromit in as they said it could be fluid in my middle ear. I had surgery to put in a gromit and the consultant split the ear drum to put the gromit in place but hit blood at the other side of the ear drum and chose not to put a gromit in as it may continue to just bleed. 3 months later things were still bad so they tried again to put in a gromit but the same thing happend so they decided that they needed to do an operation called exploration of the right mastoid. his operation was performed and the consultant came across a mass of what was thought to be granulation tissue. My facial nerve was situated in the mass so to not damage the nerve they removed the bulk of the mass as close to the nerve as possible without damaging it. A biopsy was sent away and the results returned stating it was a benign tumour. It biopsy was sent to another Hospital for a second opinion and the results said it was a malignant tumour so I was then referred to another hospital where it could be managed.
The consultant explain to me that the tumour I had was known as an adenoma tumour and to the human eye under a microscope the cell structure of a benign one was the same as a malignant one so the only way to find out was to monitor its behaviour with MRI scans. I had scans every six month and up to the end of last year the tumour had be stagnant so the consultants are presuming it is benign as it isnt behaving like a malignancy.
In febrary I went for the results of my scans and I received bad news, my tumour was growing. Because my facial nerve is incased within the tumour there is a 90% chance I will have a right sided paralysis of my face if the tumour was removed. If laser therapy was used to srink the tumour the laser would almost definately damage the nerve a paralyse my face. At the moment the consultant dont know what to do because ideally they dont want to remove or damage the nerve so for the next six months they are perpared to leave it but i have got to be aware that as the tumour grows my pain will increase.
I suffer from servere migranes constantly. I get pins and needles constantly in the right side of my face and head which as times radiates to the left. It it thought that I have nerve Damage causing a lot of main and discomfort. I have muscle damage in my jaw as a result of the surgery which causes a lot of pain when chewing items and talking. I can feel every facial expression and as the day goes on the pains get worse. I can control some of the facial movements and if I am able to control them it reduces the pain but involutary movement radiate bad pains in my face. The only thing that ever happens to my pain is that it gets worse and when its bad all I can do is sleep to try and ease it.
I have a number of anelgesics to help with the pain. I take Tramadol 200mg twice daily slow release. I have gabapentin 700mg three times a day. i take amytrptaline 50mg at night. I also have paracetamol and dihydrocodine as and when required to try and help with the pain, but nothing seems to help much.
My consultant said in all the time he has worked in this field of work (30 years) he has never seen or known of this condition and that is why they dont know what to do surgically to save the facial nerve. The chances of the facial nerve being saved It is looking very slim.
Currently I am training to be a nurse, which as you can imagine is very difficult at times as I really am in a lot of pain and discomfort but I refuse to let it defeat me so I keep plodding along. My Pain does interfer a lot with my Training but i just keep on going because I have to really. Im sure people who suffer from chronic pain will understand that there are times when you just cannot keep going.
I am interested in hearing from other chronic pain suffers to see if they have any advice for me. What I mean by advice is any methods they use when in chronic pain to try and reduce the pain because all I seem to be able to do when the pain is really bad is to try and sleep it off which makes me feel quite useless. Interested in hearing from yous.
Happy Chatting
Spikey *ack
Hi
Im from the Uk and 26 years old. About 4 years ago i started suffering from a blocked sensation in my right ear and i could hear my own pulse in my ear. I went to the GP to have what i thought my ear sringed but she said it was an infection. I went back and forth to the GP for about 12 months and because the inflamation and infection didnt respond to any anti biotics she refered me to the Local Hospital.
I attended the ENT department at the hospital and was also treated for congestion and an ear infection. The symptoms persisted and after 6 months they decided to try and put a gromit in as they said it could be fluid in my middle ear. I had surgery to put in a gromit and the consultant split the ear drum to put the gromit in place but hit blood at the other side of the ear drum and chose not to put a gromit in as it may continue to just bleed. 3 months later things were still bad so they tried again to put in a gromit but the same thing happend so they decided that they needed to do an operation called exploration of the right mastoid. his operation was performed and the consultant came across a mass of what was thought to be granulation tissue. My facial nerve was situated in the mass so to not damage the nerve they removed the bulk of the mass as close to the nerve as possible without damaging it. A biopsy was sent away and the results returned stating it was a benign tumour. It biopsy was sent to another Hospital for a second opinion and the results said it was a malignant tumour so I was then referred to another hospital where it could be managed.
The consultant explain to me that the tumour I had was known as an adenoma tumour and to the human eye under a microscope the cell structure of a benign one was the same as a malignant one so the only way to find out was to monitor its behaviour with MRI scans. I had scans every six month and up to the end of last year the tumour had be stagnant so the consultants are presuming it is benign as it isnt behaving like a malignancy.
In febrary I went for the results of my scans and I received bad news, my tumour was growing. Because my facial nerve is incased within the tumour there is a 90% chance I will have a right sided paralysis of my face if the tumour was removed. If laser therapy was used to srink the tumour the laser would almost definately damage the nerve a paralyse my face. At the moment the consultant dont know what to do because ideally they dont want to remove or damage the nerve so for the next six months they are perpared to leave it but i have got to be aware that as the tumour grows my pain will increase.
I suffer from servere migranes constantly. I get pins and needles constantly in the right side of my face and head which as times radiates to the left. It it thought that I have nerve Damage causing a lot of main and discomfort. I have muscle damage in my jaw as a result of the surgery which causes a lot of pain when chewing items and talking. I can feel every facial expression and as the day goes on the pains get worse. I can control some of the facial movements and if I am able to control them it reduces the pain but involutary movement radiate bad pains in my face. The only thing that ever happens to my pain is that it gets worse and when its bad all I can do is sleep to try and ease it.
I have a number of anelgesics to help with the pain. I take Tramadol 200mg twice daily slow release. I have gabapentin 700mg three times a day. i take amytrptaline 50mg at night. I also have paracetamol and dihydrocodine as and when required to try and help with the pain, but nothing seems to help much.
My consultant said in all the time he has worked in this field of work (30 years) he has never seen or known of this condition and that is why they dont know what to do surgically to save the facial nerve. The chances of the facial nerve being saved It is looking very slim.
Currently I am training to be a nurse, which as you can imagine is very difficult at times as I really am in a lot of pain and discomfort but I refuse to let it defeat me so I keep plodding along. My Pain does interfer a lot with my Training but i just keep on going because I have to really. Im sure people who suffer from chronic pain will understand that there are times when you just cannot keep going.
I am interested in hearing from other chronic pain suffers to see if they have any advice for me. What I mean by advice is any methods they use when in chronic pain to try and reduce the pain because all I seem to be able to do when the pain is really bad is to try and sleep it off which makes me feel quite useless. Interested in hearing from yous.
Happy Chatting
Spikey *ack